Exhauster device



Nov. 2, 1926.

J. R. HAMILTON I EXHAUS'IER DEVICE Filed Dec. 4, 1923 20% V 244mg" Patented Nov. 2, 1 926.

. ,7 1,605,222 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. HAMILTON, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK.

EXHAUSTER DEVICE.

Application filed December 4, 1923. Serial No. 678,536,

This invention relates especially to an exhauster or venting device for a primary fluid container such as a dry pipe automatic 'fire extinguishing or sprinkler system or analogous apparatus in which the exhauster valve or venting means may be connected or operated in any suitable Way by a movably mounted actuating chamber-or member into which mercury or other actuating liquid may be forced or drawn as by the reduction of pressure in the chamber which may contain this actuating member and alsothe exhauster valve and to which the exhauster pipe from the distributing system may be connected. The mercury or other actuating liquid may normally be in a mercury storage chamber or compartment within or forming part of an auxiliary fluid container or pressure chamber which may be located adjacent the valve or exhauster chamber and the liquid storage chamber may be provided with an outlet in communication with the exhauster chamber, said chamber and outlet being so disposed as to form a trap having opposite legs in communication with the pressure chamber and exhausted chamber respectively. The pressure and exhauster chambers should preferably be connected with each other by means of a pin hole vent or reduced passage forming a restricted conduit which allows the equalization of the normal pressure changes due to minute degrees of leakage or to changes of temperature in the apparatus but which is insufiicient to equalize the sudden reduction of pressure in the distributing system and connected exhauster chamber when one of the sprinkler heads or other distributing devices comes into action in the event of fire. The unbalaced pressure in the pressure chamber is thus enabled to force the mercury from the trap into a flexible or resiliently yielding actuating arm, which may serve as the mounting and supply passage .for the actuating chamber, the increased weight of which may cause the actuating movement opening the exhauster valve. This exhauster valve may, if desired. remain open until the higher pressure of the water which promptly enters the distributing; system begins to come into the exhauster chamber or otherwise increase the pressure therein. This pressure increase forces the mercury back out of the actuating chamber so as to again close the valve as by the resilient action of the parts.

In the accompanying drawing .showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way two illustrative embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an illustrative exhauster device, and

Fig. 2 is a similar section through a modified device.

The exhauster device may comprise a suitable exhauster casing 1 of cast iron or other suitable material which maybe mounted in any desired way in connection with a fluid pressure container to be vented or exhausted, as, for example, the upper or other appropriate part of the ordinary or simple fire extinguishing distributing system which may comprise a supply pipe or riser 28 and suitable distributing pipes 29 provided with distributing devices of any suitable character, such as the sprinkler head 30. This eX-' hauster casing preferably comprises .a primary or exhauster chamber 3 and a secondary or pressure chamber 4; which may be located on the other side of the partition 2, for example, and these chambers are preferably connected through a pin hole or reduced area vent passage such as the restricted conduit or pin hole vent 5 which may be screwed in place in this partition when the plug or cover 20 is removed. The casing may, of course, be provided with other removable covers such as 21, 22 arranged at the proper points to give access to the chamber for assembling and adjusting the working parts and these covers may be bolted or screwed in place on the casing in connection with suitable packing so as to make the same substantially airtight under working conditions.

The exhauster chamber 3 may have the vent or exhauster passage 11 formed with .a valve seat 12with which cooperates the exhauster valve 14 of any desired construction which is normally held against its seat by the air pressure within the chamber or the resilience or weight .of the parts, so thatthis exhauster chamber is normally under the same fluid pressure as the adjacent part of the distributing system with which it may be connected by an exhauster pipe 27, opening at one end into the exhauster chamber at the orifice 26 and its other end into the upper part of the distributing system or supply pipe 28 so as to effectively remove or exhaust the air therefrom when the system comes into operation in the event of fire.

It is usually desirable to have this exhauster pipe of somewhat larger area than the opening past the exhauster valve when this is opened since this facilitates the building up of pressure in this exhauster chamber soas to close the exhauster valve when the high pressure water enters the distributing system.

The exhauster valve may be actuated by .the movement of an actuating arm and connected actuating chamber, to which mercury or other actuating fluid may be supplied as by making the actuating arm tubular. F or this purpose the actuating chamber 9 of suitable material may be secured on the end of the actuating arm 8 which preferably has a relatively still or rigid portion adjacent the chamber while a relatively resilient or flexible portion 7 of thinner or flattened tubular material may be provided adjacent the point where this actuating arm is supported as by screwing it into a threaded hole in the partition 2. For this purpose the actuating arm may be provided with a heavy threaded junction portion 13 to be screwed into one end of this threaded hole while the hollow or tubular end 1.0 of the mercury storage chamber 6 may be screwed into the other end of this hole so as to support the storage chamber within the pressure chamber 4 and leave these abutting tubular members in communication with each other. A charge of mercury or other actuating liquid 23 may be arranged in this storage chamber where it normally remains when the pressure in the exhauster chamber 3 is substantially the same as in the pressure chamber 4. When, however the distributing system comes into action as by the opening of one of the sprinkler heads 30 the air pressure in the distributing system is quickly reduced and this pressure reduction is communicated to the exhauster chamber 3 by means of the exhauster pipe 27. This causes the unbalanced excess of pressure in the pressure chamber at to act through the vent or opening 2 in the mercury storage chamber so as to force the mercury up through the actuating arm 8 and into the actuating chamber 9 where it assumes some such position as 23 and tends to move the actuating arm and chamber down in the direction of the dotted arrow in Fig. 1. This movement may be communicated to the exhauster valve 14 by any suitable connections as by the link 19 which may be pivoted to the actuating arm and to a lever such as 15 which may be pivoted about the pin 17 in the bracket or support 18 in the casing and have the pivot or pin 16 loosely connecting this valve lever to the valve 14. Thus when the actuating chamber moves downward it opens the ex hauster valve and the parts are so proportioned that the exhauster valve gives ample opening to allow the rapid exhaust of air from the exhauster chamber and connected exhauster pipe 27. It is desirable, however, to have this valve opening somewhat less in area than the eXhauster pipe so that when the high pressure water enters the distributing system after the dry valve is opened; this water, before or after it enters the exhauster chamber, may increase the pressure therein sui'iiciently to force the mercury ack out of its actuating chamber and into its storage chamber so that the actuating arm may rise through the resilient action of its flexible portion 7 and close the exhauster valve so as to prevent loss of water in this way.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the primary or eXhauster chamber 3 is at all times in free communication with the primary fluid container herein disclosed as a part of a dry pipe fire extinguishing system 28, and in effect forms a part thereof, whereas the secondary chamber 4r which forms the auxiliary fluid container is connected with the primary chamber only by means of the restricted conduit or vent 5 and the trap sealed by the liquid 23.

In some cases as shown in Fig. 2 the charge of mercury or other suitable liquid may be normally stored or held in the bottom of the pressure chamber such as 34c which is preferably shaped and provided with an inclined bottom so as to direct the mercury 23 toward the discharge opening in the partition 32. It is sometimes desirable also to have the tubular actuating arr 38 relatively straight so that the threaded connecting portion 36 on the thin flexible or flattened resilient portion 37 of this actuating arm may be more conveniently screwed into the threaded hole in the partition and thus properly support the actuating chamber 39 in the raised po sition indicated in Fig. 2 adjacent the top of the exhauster chamber, and the pressure changes described drive the mercury into this actuating chamber to some such level as 23 therein which causes the actuating arm to move downward and open the exhauster valve through suitable operating connections of any kind such as the link 19.

Although mercury or other suitable operating fluid is mentioned as the weight applying material relied upon to operate the gravity controlled valve operating mechanism, it will be apparent that in its broadest sense the invention should be regarded as of such scope as to include within its pur view the use of partitioning neans bc tween the fluid containers comprising mobile material of any character which may be so readjusted as a result 01"" a sudden drop in pressure in the primary container as to add weight to the operating element of the vent valve and cause the same to be opened.

This invention has been described in connection with illustrative torms, parts, devices, proportions, arrangements and methods of manufacture, assembly and use, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and What is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An exhauster device adapted for exhausting the air from'dry pipe fire extinguishing systems, which comprises an ex hauster casing having an exhauster chamber and a pressure chamber communicating with each other through a pin hole vent passage, an exhauster connection with said exhauster chamber adapted to connect it with an upper part of the dry pipe distributing system, an exhauster valve in said exhauster chamber, an actuating chamber and a connected tubular actuating arm having a thin resilient flattened portion communicating with said pressure chamber, a mercury storage chamber in said pressure chamber communicating with said actuatlng arm and normally containing a charge of mercuryadapted to be forced into said actuating chamber when the air pressure in said exhauster chamber and connected distributing system is quickly reduced in the event of fire, and operating connections between said actuating arm and said eXhauster valve.

2. An. exhauster device adapted for exhausting the air from dry pipe fire extinguishing systems, which comprises an exhauster casing having an exhauster cham: her and a pressure chamber communicating with each other through a vent passage, an exhauster connection witlnsaid enhauster chamber adapted to connect it withthe dry pipe distributing system, an exhauster valve in said exhauster chamber, an actuating chamber and a connected tubular actuating arm having a thin resilient portion communicating with said pressure chamber, said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of mercury adapted to be forced into said actuating chamber when the air pressure in said eXhauster chamber and connected distributing system is quickly reduced in the event of fire, and operating connections between said actuating arm and said exhauster valve.

An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising an exhauster casing having a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber communicating with each other through a pin hole vent passage, a storage chamber in said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of mercury, an exhauster valve in said eX. hauster chamber and adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system when opened, a movably mounted actuating chamber and connected tubular actuating arm having a flexible portion in said exhauster chamber and communicating with saidstorage chamber to receive mercury therefrom, and operating connections between said actuating arm and said exhauster valve.

4:. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising an eX- hauster casing having a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber communicating with each other through a vent passage, a storage chamber in said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of mercury, an exha'uster valve in said exhauster chamber, a movably mounted actuating chamber and connected tubular actuating arm in said exhauster chamber andcommunicating with said storage chamber to receive mercury therefrom, and operating connections be tween said actuating arm and said exhauster valve.

5. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising an eX- hauster casing having a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber normally communicating with each other through a re duccd area vent passage, a storage chamber in said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of heavy actuating liquid, an exhauster valve adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system, an actuating chamber and connected actuating arm movably mounted in said exhauster chamber, said actuating chamber communicating with said storage chamber toreceive actuating liquid therefrom, and operating connections between said actuating chamber and said exhauster valve.

6. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber, said pressure chamber normally. containing a charge of heavy actuatingliquid, an exhauster valve adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system, an actuating chamber and connected actuating arm movably mounted, said actuating chamber communieating with said pressure chamber to receive actuating liquid therefrom, and operating connections between said actuating chamber and said exhauster valve.

7, An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, compr sing a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber normally communicating with each other through a pin holevent passage, said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of mercury, an exhauster valve in said exhauster chamber and adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system when opened, an actuating chamber 'movably mounted in said exhauster chamber and having a connected tubular actuating arm having a relatively movable portion communicating with said pressure chamber to receive mercury therefrom, and mechanical operating connections between said actuating chamber and said exhauster valve.

8. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber normally communicating with each other through a vent passage, said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of mercury, an exhauster valve in said exhauster chamber and adapted to exhaust air from the dis tributing system when opened, an actuating chamber movably mounted in said exhauster chamber and having a connected tubular connection having a relatively movable portion and communicating with said pressure chamber to receive mercury therefrom, and mechanical operating connections between said actuating chamber and said exhauster valve.

9. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber normally communicating with each other through a vent passage, said pressure chamber normally containing a charge of actuating liquid, an exhauster valve in said exhauster chamber and adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system when opened, an actuating chamber movably mounted and con'm'iunicating with said pressure chamber to receive actuating liquid tl'ierefr-om, and mechanical operating connections between said actuating chamber and said exhauster valve.

10. An exhauster device for dry pipe lire extinguishing apparatus, comprisin a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber normally communicating with each other through a vent passage, said pressure chamber being adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury or other actuating liquid, an exhauster valve in said exhauster chan31- ber and adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system, a movably mounted act-uating chamber in said exhauster chamber and communicating with said pressure chamber to receive actuating liquid therefrom and make an actuating movement, and operating connections between said actuating chamber and said exhauster valve.

11. The combination, with a primary container in which fluid is normally confined under pressure, of means for venting said container, said venting means comprising a valve normally closing an outlet provided for the escape of fluid from said container, an auxiliary fluid container, partitioning means including a liquid trap separating said containers, a restricted conduit connecting said containers and capable of maintain ing an approximate equality of fluid pressure therein during gradual variations of pressure in the primary container, and gravity controlled valve operating means includ ing a depressible liquid container in communication with said trap, whereby a rela tively sudden drop in fluid pressure in the primary container will produce a sufficient diii'erence of pressure at the exposed surfaces of the liquid in said trap to force a portion thereof into said liquid container, thereby depressing the same and causing the valve operating means to open the valved vent.

12. An exhauster device adapted for use with dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising a pressure chamber having a vent passage, said pressure chamber being adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury or other actuating liquid, an exhauster valve adapted to exhaust air from the dis tributing system when opened, a movable hollow member communicating with said pressure chamber to receive actuating liquid therefrom and make an actuating movement, and operating connections between said actuating member and said exhauster valve.

13. An exhauster device adapted for use with dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising a pressure chamber, said pres sure chamber being adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury or other actuating liquid, an exhauster valve adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system when opened, a movable actuating member communicating with said pressure chamber to receive actuating liquid therefrom and make an actuating movement, and operating connections between said actuating member and said exhauster valve.

14. An exhauster device for dry pipe iii-e extinguishing apparatus comprising an exhauster casing having a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber normally communicating with each other through a vent passage, said pressure chamber being adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury, an exhauster valve adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system, a movably mounted actuating chamber and a connected tubular actuating arm having a flattened flexible portion arranged in said exhauster chamber and communicating with said pressure chamber, and operating connections between said actuating arm and said exhauster valve.

15. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a pressure chamber and an exhauster chamber, said pressure chamber being adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury, an exhauster valve adapted to exhaust air from the distributing system, a movably mounted actuating chamber and a connected tubular actuating arm having a flattened flexible portion communicating with said pressure chamber, and operating connections between said actuating arm and said exhauster valve.

16. An exnauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a pressure chamber adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury, and a movably mounted actuating chamber and connected tubular member having a flexible portion communicating with said pressure chamber to receive an actuating charge of mercury therefrom.

17. An exhauster device for dry pipe fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a pressure chamber adapted to normally contain a charge of mercury, and a movably mounted actuating chamber communicating with said pressure chamber to receive an actuating charge of mercury therefrom.

18. An exhauster comprising a primary chamber having a vent therein, a valve norl-i mally closing said vent, an unrestricted orifice to freely admit fluid under pressure to said chamber from a container to be exhausted, a secondary chamber, partitioning means including a liquid trap separating said chambers, a restricted conduit connecting said chambers and capable of maintainlng an approxlmate equality of fluid pressure therein during relatively slow variations of pressure in the primary chamber,

5 and gravity controlled valve operating duce a sufficient difference of pressure at the exposed surfaces of the liquid in said trap to force a portion thereof into said liquid container, thereby depressing the same and causing the valve operating means to open the vent valve.

19. An eXhauster as defined by claim 18 having the entrance orifice for admission of fluid to the primary chamber of relatively large area as compared with that of the valved vent.

20. The combination, with a primary container in which fluid is normally confined under pressure, of means for venting said container, said venting means comprising a valve normally closing an outlet provided for the escape of fluid, an auxiliary fluid container, partitioning means comprising mobile material separating said containers, a restricted conduit connecting said containers and capable of maintaining an ap proximate equality of fluid pressure therein during gradual variations of pressure in the primary container and thereby holding the mobile material of said partitioning means in a state of equilibrium, and gravity controlled valve operating means having an operating element adapted to be weighted by a portion of the mobile material of said partitioning means when unbalanced as a result of a sudden drop in fluid pressure in the primary container, thereby rendering said valve operating means effective to open said valve.

JOHN R. HAMILTON. 

